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Dark War: Initiation
Part 1 : the endless desert. "What a delightful place", commented Captain Kaoru Shōki with exaggerated cheerfulness. "Perfect holiday spot", said Captain Ikiryō Kuragari with a faint smirk. Kurokawa Tadayoshi, the Grand Kidō Chief, looked around with his eyes narrowed slightly. "Anyway", said Captain Haruka Mewokuramasu, "let us proceed on our..." "They're coming", Kuragari interrupted her. Whereas the other Captains glanced at him with more or less apparent surprise, Tarō Kinzoku immediately unsheathed his Zanpakutō. "Where", he nearly whispered. Ikiryō turned and pointed in the direction. There was nothing but white dunes and quartz formations to be seen. At least for now. "Over there. Menos Grande", he replied. Then, Captain Fudo Shōdo passed by him while quickly drawing his sword. "Excellent!", he exclaimed with a predatory smile. "They've sent us a welcoming committee, how nice of 'em!" "Let's kill them", said Kinzoku with a deep, intimidating tone. "Cleave." Suddenly, his Zanpakutō split into two identical longswords, one in each hand. "Heck yes! A nice warm-up right off the bat!", cheered Shōdo. "Flare up, Nenshō Kanetsu-ro!" His nodachi rapidly morphed into a large, two-handed sledgehammer with an exhaust pipe protruding from the back of its head. "But we were supposed to...", started Mewokuramasu, baffled. "Just let them do their thing", told her Shōki. "There's no way we could stop them." Meanwhile, the incoming Menos finally appeared on the horizon. Their white masks with long, spiky noses where clearly visible on the jet black background. They were approaching the Captains fast and with obvious intent. "Let's give them a warm welcome!", exclaimed Captain Shōdo. "Bakuhatsu!" Suddenly, he struck the white sand with his Zanpakutō, causing dust to erupt in all directions. Subsequently, a single scarlet crack of energy dashed forward through the ground. It reached the first of the approaching Gillians rapidly. Two of them where instantly engulfed in a pillar of flames which reduced them to ashes within a matter of seconds. "Hataken", whispered Captain Kinzoku. He crossed his swords and pierced the sand with them. A mere moment later dozens of extremely long blades burst forth from the ground, fatally impaling several Menos Grande in an instant. Kuragari was about to say something when suddenly Kenpachi Kuufuku passed by him, his Zanpakutō unsheathed. "Come on!", Kuufuku shouted, literally bi-sectioning a Gillian with ease. "Come on, come on, come on, come on!", he kept on shouting, slicing the already dead Gillian into smaller pieces. Unbeknownst to him, another Gillian swung its massive arm toward him; it hit Kenpachi with full force, and then simply fell off as Kuufuku easily cut it off with his Zanpakutō. "Seriously", Kuragari grumbled, dodging an attack from a stray Hollow effortlessly. He struck the Hollow's neck solidly with his instantaneously unsheathed wakizashi, making the head come clean off. All of a sudden, his Zanpakutō shone briefly and transformed into a pair of armoured gauntlets. Ikiryō jumped in-between other Menos Grande and slashed with his hands. Even though the sharp tips of his Shikai's fingers did not reach them, both Gillians were quickly decapitated. Captain Mewokuramasu frowned. "Coruscate, Tamashī Kagami", she declared whilst lifting her sword upright. She rotated the Zanpakutō in front of her face and a single flash travelled the length of the blade. Subsequently, it expanded and became transparent, as if made of glass. "Tatakiwaru, Tamashī Kagami", she said afterward. Three large, crystalline panels materialised behind her back, floating in the air. Almost immediately they shattered into a myriad of sharp fragments and shot forward, utterly shredding an unfortunate Menos Grande. Its companion stopped and opened its maw. The Hollow howled terribly, and then proceeded to gather its red spiritual energy between the jaws to form a Cero. "Utsusu, Tamashī Kagami", commanded Mewokuramasu. This time a single, curved panel of reinforced glass appeared in front of her. The Gillian fired its Cero beam which then struck the crystalline shield. All of its energy accumulated rapidly into a large orb and then promptly shot backward, completely vaporising the Hollow's upper torso. "What a pain", complained Captain Shōki, who remained stationary and merely observed the others fight. She turned her head to glance at Captain Tadayoshi. The Grand Kidō Chief still had not joint the battle either. "What about you, Captain Tadayoshi? Aren't you going to help them?", she asked with a wry smile. "And you, Risa-chan? Don't be so timid!", she added after looking at the Thirteenth Division Captain. "But the three of them are having so much fun", Kurokawa said sarcastically, looking at the three almost crazed Captains slaying the Menos. "I wouldn't want to spoil the fun", he added. "There is no need for eight Captains to battle a bunch of Menos Grande", Sakamoto said calmly. "We may only fight if the need arises", she added. "I see", said Shōki, who turned back to observe. Her expression was that of amusement as the three Captains watched the others battle the Gillian. As Ikiryō slashed down yet another Gillian, his patience was wearing thin. He paused to regain his composure. "How many of these are still here?", he said, annoyed. All of a sudden a Hollow, only a quarter of the size of a Gillian, lifted its arm and charged a Cero. Before Kuragari could properly react, the energy blast was heading toward him at an alarming rate. "Hado #32, Ōkasen." A wide yellow beam of energy collided with the Cero, causing an explosion between the Hollow and Ikiryō. "As I said, your loosing your touch Ikiryō.", Kurokawa smugly said, his hand smoldering slightly from the kidō he fired. "Kurokawa.", Kuragari said, shocked at the power of Tadayoshi's low level kidō spell. "I didn't think I needed to join, but an Adjuchas here, I think the situation calls for it.", he said sternly, concentrating on the smoke created by the explosion. All of a sudden, the Adjuchas leaped forth to Kurokawa, who drew his Zanpakutō in preparation. Before he could strike it though, Kuufuku came out of seemingly nowhere and slashed at the Hollow, who blocked his strike with its bare hand, leaving only a mild cut. "Finally, an actual fight!", the Kenpachi said, grinning manically. "Now, Rend Asunder, Saysugai Honnou!", he added. His Zanpakutō grew in length, the hilt smoothing out. A red tassel protruded from the end and two blades grew from the tip, taking the form of an ornamental axe. With one swing, Kenpachi slid his Shikai out of the Adjuchas' grip and in doing so tore its arm off. The Hollow tried to hit him with the other hand, yet Kuufuku simply blocked the punch with his Zanpakutō. "Damn you!", he shouted. "You all fall apart like some cheap toys!" Then, the Captain shoved his opponent away. The Adjuchas had no time to defend itself, and was swiftly slashed in half by the Kenpachi. Meanwhile, Captain Kuragari observed their fight from nearby. Unexpectedly, yet another Adjuchas emerged from amongst the crowd of Gillians and dashed forward. Then, its large, claw-like arm pierced the unsuspecting Captain. "Got'cha!", uttered the Hollow with a deep voice. "Huh?" The Adjuchas looked with surprise as he realised only the Captain's haori remained on its talon. "Utsusemi", it heard from behind. "Bunkatsu Genjitsu." Subsequently, a blade of dark, undulating air impaled the Hollow and burst forth from its chest. The Adjuchas shrieked and jumped forward, then quickly turned around to slash Ikiryō with its blade-like claw. Kuragari ducked and hit his enemy in the abdomen with his left hand. "Ikkotsu", he declared. The Hollow screamed. Then, a sudden airwave burst forth and the Adjuchas shot backward with tremendous speed, dashing through several dunes before it stopped violently a significant distance away. "It's only getting better!", announced Captain Shōdo. He traded several blows with a different Adjuchas, who managed to defend itself with shield-like plates of armour on its wrists. Each hit of the Captain's sledgehammer struck a shower of sparks. "Take this! Ryūsei!", he shouted, lifting his Zanpakutō high over his head. The exhaust pipe roared and emitted dark red flames. Afterward, Shōdo struck the defensively positioned Adjuchas with great force. A potent shockwave raised a cloud of dust, and the Hollow groaned as it disappeared in a fiery explosion. "This has to end now", declared Captain Mewokuramasu with atypical severity. "Shūchū Suru, Tamashī Kagami." Suddenly a big, crystalline lens materialised in the air several metres in front of the Captain. "Captains, retreat!", she exclaimed afterward. Her order drew Kuragari's attention. When the Second Division Captain realised what was his friend about to do, an expression of unusual shock appeared on his face. "Fall back, dammit!", he shouted. The Captains, despite the heat of the battle, complied instinctively due to Ikiryō's tone. The Hollows, both Menos Grande and several Adjuchas, glanced at them with confusion, and then proceeded to run toward them. "Hadō #88, Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!", declared Mewokuramasu as she raised her outstretched hand. A powerful blast of blue electrical and spiritual energy burst forth from her palm and passed through the lens she had summoned with her Shikai. Subsequently, the Hadō expanded substantially and engulfed the entire advancing group of Hollows with its devastating light. The Hollows evaporated within a matter of seconds. The spell carved a giant ditch in the white desert and ended with an enormous explosion far away. Whereas the rest of the Captains observed her with varying magnitudes of astonishment, Haruka sealed her sword and sheathed it quickly. Her face was solemn and focused, and she panted slightly. "Genryūsai-dono entrusted us with an important task. We are not here to enjoy ourselves", she said. "Agreed, but because of the blast we must make haste. There is no doubt that was detected, so let's go", said Kuragari sternly, looking rather annoyed at the other Captains as he retrieved his haori. They immediately headed out and kept going further into the lifeless desert. Kurokawa, who was next to Ikiryō, was glancing at Haruka, who was still panting because of the high-level Kidō she used. He caught up to her, a worried look on his face. "Are you all right Mewokuramasu-san?", he asked her. "Yes, I am fine, just a little tired. I am not as skilled in Kidō like you", she said with a faint smile. "Just don't strain yourself too much before the real fight begins, right?", Kurokawa said, still worried. "You have my word, Tadayoshi-kun", she replied, smiling. "Where are we going?", asked Kinzoku. "There are multiple groups of Menos scattered around", responded Kuragari with a grimace of high concentration on his face. "But I sense a particularly large, densely packed gathering in the direction we are heading now. I assume it is the enemy headquarters." "Headquarters?", said Shōki mildly surprised. "Cute little Hollows think they can organise an army. How intriguing! I'm so curious who's orchestrated all of that, this is an unprecedented occurrence!" The Captains travelled a long distance within a matter of moments thanks to Shunpo. They sensed the presence of numerous Hollows relatively nearby as they were going, but none of the monsters could even attempt to chase them down. After some time a conspicuous object appeared on the horizon. As the Gotei 13 strike force were gradually closing in, it turned out to be a remarkably tall, sleek spire protruding hundreds of metres above the desert. The tower was built from a white material which highly resembled a bone. "Here we go!", announced Shōdo. Unexpectedly, Ikiryō stopped and signaled the others to do the same with a gesture. "What is it, Captain Kuragari? Did you sense something?", asked Captain Shōki. The Second Division Captain chortled all of a sudden. "This is not a densely packed gathering", he said as he turned around to face the rest of the squad. "There are just several spiritual pressures, but they feel like an entire army of Adjuchas from afar", he explained. "Vasto Lorde", whispered Kinzoku. "Amazing!", exclaimed Kaoru. "We know so little about them, this is a magnificent opportunity to make some research!" Kuragari winced. However, before he could say anything Captain Mewokuramasu spoke. "It there are several of them, it must mean there is not a single leader, but an entire board. The more the reason we should split according to Genryūsai-dono's orders and eliminate them one by one." "Not so fast", replied Ikiryō. "First, I need to infiltrate the building and gather some intel. Then..." "Enough with the talking!", shouted Kenpachi. "We're not here for a chit-chat but to crack some skulls! Let's get it over with!" Following that he darted toward the immense spire. Kuragari looked at him with noticeable irritation when Captains Kinzoku and Shōdo passed by him. "He's right, we can't wait for them to die of old age, it's time for some serious action!", declared Shōdo. Tarō simply marched forward, slightly slanted and with his palm resting on his Zanpakutō's hilt. "How many of them are there?", asked suddenly Mewokuramasu with a trace of exasperation in her voice. "I cannot tell for sure, their Reiatsu overlap with each other... and it is quite murky in there. I have a bad feeling about this", responded Ikiryō. "Let's go after them", suggested Tadayoshi whilst looking at the rogue Captains. "They won't listen to us, but we can still make this work if at least we follow the orders." "I concur", replied Captain Mewokuramasu. Captain Risa nodded. Kaoru Shōki glanced at Kuragari, waiting. "You are right. Let's move, then", said Ikiryō. The Captains quickly formed the assigned pairs, willingly or not, and eventually entered through the wide open gate to the towering spire. Part 2 Hueco Mundo, La Aguja Blanca: the throne room. The entire place was in a state of permanent penumbra. The room was somewhat spacious and the ceiling was supported by two rows of pillars. The path in-between led to the darkest site in the hall: the throne. It was large, made from a skull of a giant Hollow. A single person of impressive stature sat in its mandible and leant on the wide open upper jaw. Then, a slender silhouette appeared silently in the room and gently approached the skull throne. "Tinieblas-dono, the Shinigami strike force has arrived", uttered a harsh, condescending voice. "Already?", asked a deep, yet feminine voice from the throne. "How kind of them to not let us wait too long." "What are we going to do now, madam?", asked the slender person. The woman on the throne rapidly slanted forward. Her long, wild hair framed her stern face with a light purple tempest, and the darkness around her swirled noticeably. "Let them in. Separate them. Kill them", she snarled with frightening ferocity. Her face was barely visible in the penumbra of the room. Even though, her eyes glowed in the darknes: one golden with a slit-like pupil and the other violet, with a spiral iris that dissipated into the eye's lilac sclera. The sleek individual became completely stiff for a moment. Then, he bowed deeply. "Understood, Tinieblas-dono. I shall inform the others at once", he said and turned around to exit the hall. The woman on the throne rested and supported her head with her hand. Suddenly, she grinned, exposing big, canine-like teeth. Her eyes shone like miniature stars in the room's darkness. Part 3 Kenpachi was the first to reach a source of the immense Reiatsu. However, while he noticed that there was only one human sized figure in his way, he sensed a bigger source of spiritual pressure far behind the Vasto Lorde, prompting him to lick his lips. "How wonderful, this Reiatsu is amazing!", he shouted, basking in the dense energy. As he was doing this, Ikiryō caught up to him, incredibly annoyed. "You are an idiot. You are playing into the enemy's hands", Kuragari said sharply. "Oh, what's the point in waiting when we can just kill them!", Kuufuku shouted. "We are lucky, since only one of them is here. If the other ones were here...", Ikiryō started. However Kenpachi, unable to control himself any longer charged unexpectedly at the Vasto Lorde, his Zanpakutō clashing with the Hollow's raised arm. Surprisingly, not even a scratch appeared on the foe's arm. "What?", Kenpachi asked in shock, his eyes widening in amazement of the Menos' durability. The Vasto Lorde swung its arm almost lazily and hit Kuufuku's side, sending him flying to the right, creating a massive cloud of dust when he hit the ground. Kuragari's eyes widened as he saw the 11th division Captain cough up blood from the impact of the strike. He immediately raised his right hand and drew his Zanpakutō with his left. "Bakudō #65, Sabishii Rippou!", he shouted, a blue energy came out from his hand and encased the Vasto Lorde, forming a cube shape, the energy solidified into a grey stone like structure. "Now, Fade away into nothingness, Shi no Hōyō!", he exclaimed. His Zanpakutō instantly formed a pair of gauntlets on his hands. As he approached the cube, the Vasto Lorde suddenly broke out of it, turning the Kidō into dust. Ikiryō unfazed, lunged at the Hollow saying: "Bunkatsu Genjitsu". He slashed at the Vasto Lorde violently. However, the enemy vanished before being hit, emitting a loud, static sound. Kuragari landed on the floor and immediately turned around to face the opponent. Meanwhile, Kenpachi stood up and raised his sword. "Damn Shinigami", bellowed the Vasto Lorde suddenly. "You dare to barge into our fortress? This ain't your world! I'm gonna teach you to behave." Ikiryō lifted one of his eyebrows. "And who are you?", he asked. The Hollow winced. He was humanoid, but with some reptile traits at the same time. Muscular and stout, he had scarlet skin covered with scutes and a long, thick tail which writhed impatiently on the floor. His face bore some resemblance to a crocodile's maw. "I am Ira, one of Tinieblas-sama's generals", replied the Vasto Lorde whilst flexing his muscles. "And your impending doom." As he was speaking an aura of red spiritual energy enveloped him. The air started undulating as his enormous spiritual pressure was exerted. Ikiryō narrowed his eyes. "Seems we have encountered a tough one", he said to Kuufuku. "Even better!", Kuufuku shouted, once again mindlessly charging at the Hollow. This time he grabbed his blade tightly, causing blood to drip from his hands. "Rend asunder, Saysugai Honnou!", he said. His Zanpakutō transformed into an elegant axe. Then, he immediately slashed at the Vasto Lorde who blocked the attack; the sand around them erupted as the force the attack was exerted. The Hollow went in for a counterattack, when it suddenly saw Ikiryō leap up from behind Kenpachi with his gauntlets' fingers pointed at Ira. "Kyomu no Ibara", said Kuragari as ten bullets of condensed Reiatsu went flying towards the Vasto Lorde, hitting him dead on and engulfing him in a sphere of sand due to the resulting explosion. "There, that should have damaged him a little", stated Ikiryō, as Kenpachi landed next to him. The Eleventh Division Captain was annoyed that Kuragari ruined his fun so early, however, he kept quiet as the sand was settling. "Admirable, but nowhere near enough to even stall me", a disembodies voice growled from the dispersing cloud. Ira walked out, his shoulder bleeding slightly in three places. Additionally, he had seven other slight burnt marks on his torso; apart from that, though, he was completely unscathed. Ikiryō's face stiffed up while Kenpachi's face formed into a wide grin. Part 4 Elsewhere Fudo had managed to bypass the guarding Vasto Lorde and had got to the wall of the fortress. He stopped eventually to figure out how to get into it. The wall seemed smooth, although its texture looked akin to bone and seemed durable. While he was pondering, Haruka managed to catch up to him. "You should not rush like that, Shōdō-taichou", she said sternly. "Well, we are fine now ain't we?", Fudo said rather callously, not taking his attention off the wall. "Would your Shikai be able to get us up to the top of the fortress?", he asked Haruka, still examining the wall. "It is possible, I guess. Coruscate, Tamashī Kagami", she said quietly. As her Shikai formed, numerous panes of glass appeared out of thin air and stuck themselves into the wall. "There, that should be enough", she said, sheathing her Zanpakutō. "Good job, Mewokuramasu-san, let's go", said Shōdō, jumping up on the makeshift platforms with Captain Mewokuramasu following suit. Part 5 Kurokawa and Kaoru had also made it to the wall. While Kurokawa was examining the wall's texture and Reiryoku structure, Kaoru was looking at him, smirking. "Have you thought of some clever way to overcome this obstacle, Tadayoshi-taichou?", said Kaoru in a whisper. Kurokawa remained silent. He walked away from the wall and turned back to face it. Afterward he clasped his hands together, and as they started to glow he said: "Bakudō #62, Hyapporankan." He swung his arm in a diagonal arc as numerous poles of bright purple energy pierced the wall with enough force to stay in there indefinitely. They were stable enough to use them as improvised platforms. "Let us move", said Kurokawa, hopping up the poles. Kaoru began to follow suit, as unexpectedly a blast of green energy blew up the wall in front of Kurokawa, forcing him to quickly jump to the bottom. "Let's stop right there, shall we?", asked mockingly the figure who blew up the wall. Their hand was surrounded by a green circle of crackling energy. The fingers were long and skeletal. Subsequently, the Vasto Lorde swiftly emerged from the breach. It was doubtlessly a woman; however, she possessed a set of eight pitch black eyes, and her lower body was replaced by a large insectoidal abdomen moving on three pairs of spiky legs, likening her to a nightmarish arachnid. "Itsy bitsy spider...", hummed Captain Shōki. The Hollow stopped, still attached to the spire's wall. She looked at the Captain intensely. "You'll regret that", hissed the Vasto Lorde. As she declared this, she rapidly turned around and aimed the tip of her abdomen at Kaoru. All of a sudden, the Hollow launched a string of web. The attack was fast, yet the Captain managed to evade it with Shunpo. "Now, now, no need to get so angry", said Shōki as she reappered several metres away. "Perhaps we could meet in my lab back at the Seireitei? We could gossip a bit, drink some sake and examine these funny blebs on your abdomen?", she continued with a teasing tone. "That's unnecessary", replied the Vasto Lorde. "I can show you both right away." The cysts expanded rapidly, glowing with a faint green light. Then, they burst all at once, releasing a group of small creatures which landed on the white sand. The critters resembled disembodied skulls walking on three skeleton-like legs each. "How do you like my children, Shinigami? Aren't they adorable?", asked the Hollow with a luscious tone. "Young ones, greet our guests appropriately." The skull creatures emitted a loud shrill and faced the two Captains. Suddenly, small lights shone in-between their hollow eyesockets, charging into miniature Ceros. "Fire!", commanded their mother. "Hado #33, Sōkatsui!", Kurokawa exclaimed Blue fire enveloped all the tiny spiders, causing numerous small explosions in the Kidō, which rumbled the ground slightly. "Down came the rain and washed the spiders out", he said sarcastically, with a noticeable smirk on his face. "Why you little-", the Vasto Lorde started, but she was interrupted by Shōki who appeared on one of the Kidō poles above the spider Hollow. "You know, in a two-on-one battle, never become too concentrated on one enemy", she said quietly as the Menos turned to see Shōki charging a yellow orb in her hand. "Hadō #63, Raikōhō!", she shouted, as the yellow beam of electricity slammed down onto the Vasto Lorde, making it plummet violently into the sands below. "I mean okay, surely it must be difficult taking your eyes of him,", she quietly murmured under her breath, "but still, it was a dumb move nonetheless", she finished, landing several feet away from the fallen Hollow. "Good job", Tadayoshi said plainly to Kaoru. "See, you're not so cold after all, Tadayoshi-kun", she said seductively, walking toward Kurokawa. However, she stopped as the Vasto Lorde rapidly got up. Smoke was coming from the Hollow's back, but apart from that, she sported no visible injuries. "You bitch, you shall pay for that!", the Vasto Lorde yelled at Kaoru, shooting web at her. "Too fast!", Kaoru thought. Just as the web was about to hit her, a blade sliced the web into little pieces. Kaoru looked up and saw Kurokawa with his Zanpakutō unsheathed, facing the Vasto Lorde. "Tadayoshi-kun", she said, but she was cut off by Kurokawa. "We are in a battle, don't let your guard down!", he said sternly. Kaoru stood up straight and unsheathed her Zanpakutō as well. "Very well", she said, a smirk appearing on her face once more. Part 6 As Captain Kinzoku was approaching one of the gates located at the immense spire's base, it opened suddenly and a single figure emerged from the darkness inside. "Foolish Shinigami!", exclaimed the Vasto Lorde. The Hollow had green skin and a curved tail. Her eyes were large, and a crest protruted from the back of her head. Tarō ignored her words completely and walked forward with the same pace as before. Risa followed him slowly, observing the gate's guardian vigilantly. "You dare to trespass the mighty Tinieblas-sama's territory!?", she continued. Kinzoku swiftly unsheathed his Zanpakutō. "Cleave", he whispered in response. Subsequently, his nodachi separated into two identical swords. The Vasto Lorde seemed perplexed at the Captains' reserved behaviour. "You shall experience the might of Celos, one of...", continued the Hollow with uncertainty. "Rendaken", uttered Kinzoku. Then, he crossed the blades of his doubled Zanpakutō in front of himself, holding them parallel to the ground. All of a sudden, he rapidly grated them against each other whilst slashing with them to the sides, striking sparks and firing a number of wedges at the shocked Vasto Lorde. "W... wait!", she screamed. The Hollow narrowly escaped the barrage, utilising to evade it. She stopped some distance away and pointed her finger at the Captain, clearly enraged. "Hey, I haven't finished yet, you brute!", she shouted at him. "Shut up", replied the Captain with a harsh tone. "Captain Kinzoku, shouldn't we first evaluate the opponent and think of an effective plan to defeat them?", asked Sakamoto. "I'm doing just that", was his response. "Hijiken." Afterward, two long blades burst forth from his elbows. The Captain assumed a distinct fighting stance, having now four swords at his disposal. All of a sudden, he dashed at Celos and struck with his Zanpakutō. The Hollow was able to block the nodachi''s with her forearms, yet she had to dodge as Kinzoku attacked with one of his elbow blades. He slashed at her over a dozen times within a matter of seconds, pushing her back with his speed and sheer strength. Ultimately, Celos used Sonído again to gain some distance. Despite the Captain's ferocity she seemed unharmed, and even curious. "What an interesting technique! And this swordplay! Don't you mind if I try to... emulate you?", asked the Vasto Lorde teasingly. Tarō lunged at her with his swords lifted to strike from above. However, the Vasto Lorde simply caught them with her bare hands. As she did this, spiritual pressure started leaking from the edges. Kinzoku pulled the blades out and utilised Shunpo to quickly retreat. When he stopped, he watched as two ''nodachi''s made from bones appeared in his opponent's hands. Two long spikes emerged from her elbows soon afterward. "What a pain", commented Tarō as he plunged to attack Celos once again. Part 7 In the meantime, Captains Mewokuramasu and Shōdo managed to climb a significant height. Eventually, they found a row of big windows and decided to enter the building through one of them. As they came inside they were vitually immersed in an ocean of dark, cold Reiatsu. "Do you sense someone up there, Mewokuramasu-san?", asked Fudo. The other Captain narrowed her eyes as she focused. She remained largely composed, but slight marks of apprehension appeared on her face. "There is so much residual spiritual pressure... but yes, I can sense someone. They are coming", she declared. The room they were in was surprisingly spacious. There were some vague sources of faint light, but entire pools of shadows hid most of the room in opaque darkness. Then, they heard heavy footsteps. "Good, good, you're finally here", said a screeching voice. "I hunger... It's so maddening... but not long..." Haruka laid her hand on her Zanpakutō's hilt. Shōdo immediately drew his ''nodachi and walked several steps forward. The owner of the disembodied voice finally emerged from the omnipresent darkness. He was tall and sleek, but at the same time quite muscular. His skin was jet black and gleaming in the faint light. The Vasto Lorde's face had nebulous features and no visible eyes. Only the excessively wide mouth was easy to distinguish. "Who are you?", asked Shōdo with a threatening tone. "I am... Antracón... always hungry... always weak... I need to eat... yes", murmured the Hollow as he stopped not too far away from the Shinigami. "Mewokuramasu-san", said suddenly Fudo whilst taking a brief look at the other Captain. "Let me handle this guy. You should rest a bit before you can fight." "I assent. But please, be careful, Captain Shōdo", she replied with hesitation. "Sure", responded Fudo with a wide grin. "Eat... I want to eat... now...", mumbled the Vasto Lorde. "You starving? Eat this!", exclaimed Shōdo. "Flare up, Nenshō Kanetsu-ro!" His Zanpakutō instantaneously morphed into a large sledgehammer. Subsequently, the Shinigami struck the floor with it, prompting it to erupt with flames. A mere second later the Hollow opposite to him was engulfed in a fiery explosion. "I must eat... yes", muttered Antracón slightly animated. Apart from the ground destroyed around him, he was completely unfazed by the attack. Even worse, the blast seemed to somehow invigorate him. "Weird", commented Fudo. "Let's try something else, then! Kazan-dan!" He swung his Zanpakutō with a broad motion, launching a large orb of smouldering rock at the enemy. The attack hit him with great force, causing yet another violent outburst of flames. "Feel... better", stated the Hollow as the smoke was clearing off. "Captain Shōdo, he seems to absorb your techniques!", warned Mewokuramasu. "Seems like it", agreed the Captain. "Let's try good ol' melee combat." Suddenly, he plunged at the opponent with Shunpo. He materialised just in front of the Vasto Lorde and immediately smashed him with his hammer. However, the Hollow block the blow with one of his hands. "Energy...", whispered the Vasto Lorde. Fudo observed with shock as a number of little maws opened across the enemy's forearm. Then, streams of spiritual energy started to flow from the Shinigami's Zanpakutō directly into them. "Damn you, you freak!", he bellowed. He lifted his hammer and rapidly turned around. The Hollow did not react in time. As a result, he was hit in the abdomen with great force, sending him sliding backward on the floor for several metres. "Very good", said the Vasto Lorde, licking his slimy lips fixed in a hideous smile. "Mewokuramasu-san!", shouted Fudo as he turned around to glance at her. "Protect yourself with a barrier, I'm going all out!" The female Captain nodded and uttered a silent chant at once. Afterward, she was enclosed with a cubical barrier of yellow spiritual energy. "Are you going... to feed me?", asked the Hollow longingly. "No", responded Shōdo with great severity. "I'm going to reduce you to ashes!" He lifted his sledgehammer high over his head. Red spiritual energy started emanating from his entire body, prompting the air to undulate due to its heat. "Bankai!", he exclaimed. Flames erupted with a loud roar from the Zanpakutō's exhaust pipe. Then, they started swirling around the Shinigami, engulfing him with an incinerating inferno of vast spiritual energy. Antracón stood motionless, his lips outstretched in a wide grin. End of Chapter Category:Roleplay